1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay, and more particularly to an electromagnetic relay having an armature block movable in a linear path between two contact operating positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electromagnetic relays with a linearly movable armature block are known in the art as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,126 issued on Aug. 27, 1987 to Bando. In this prior art relay, the armature block is held between a pair of separate balancing springs each extending in parallel relation with each other and supported loosely on a relay base. The separate provision of the balancing springs in the prior art relay requires to mount the springs individually on the relay base, making it rather complicate to assembly the balancing springs. Further, the loose connection of each balancing spring to the relay base is very likely to induce fluctuation in the spring force exerted on the armature block, which involves sophisticated technique to obtain a precisely tuned balancing force required for the armature block, in addition to the effect that the separately mounted springs exert the spring forces individually to the armature block. In these respects, the prior art relay is not satisfactory for providing convenient assembly of the balancing spring as well as for providing a consistent balancing effect to the armature block.